Thill-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. O. BAILEY.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 480,648. Patented Aug.'9, 1892.

l! Ii *mlum-mmi i-Alllllllli I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. O. BAILEY.

THILL COUPLING. I

' Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

u Model.)

awuemboz UNIT D I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. BAILEY, OF FORD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,648, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed March 28, 1892- $erial No. 426,782. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BAILEY, of Ford City, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a thill-coupling so constructed that all rattle and shake of the thill is prevented and in which any wear can be readily taken up, and

' which is also so constructed as to provide a means for catching and holding the shaft to the clip should the pivotal bolt or bolts of the thill become broken.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a coupling which embodies my invention complete. Fig. 2 is a section thereof taken through the bolts and screws which form the coupling. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of-the same. Fig. a is a detached perspective View of the front bolt.

A indicates the front axle of a vehicle, to which the clip B, of the ordinary construction, is applied in the usual manner. Extending forward from the front side of the said clip are two ears 0, between which the thilliron F of the shafts is pivoted. These ears 0 are provided each with screw-threaded openings at each side, which receive the screw-threaded pivotal bolts D, which are provided with angular heads G. The inner ends of these screw-threaded bolts, which pass through the ears 0, are made cone-shaped, as shown, and these cone-shaped ends of the pivotal bolts enter cone-shaped cavities H, made in opposite sides of the said thill-irons F. In this manner the thill-irons of the shafts or of a pole can be tightly held by means of these screw-threaded pivotal bolts, so that no shake or rattle whatever can occur,

which is so usual in the ordinary thill-coupling and so extremely objectionable. By means of these screw-bolts, which enter from opposite sides of the ears between which the thill-irons are pivoted, the thill-iron can be tightened up at any time and always held against any rattle or shake, as will readily be understood. For the purpose of preventing these pivotal bolts from becoming unscrewed, as they would be liable to do by working, I provide the ears 0 with extended ends that reach beyond the innerpivotalend of the thill-iron, and pass through openings made in these ears a transverse bolt I. This transverse bolt I is provided with a square head J at one end and with a screw-threaded portion K at its opposite end to receive a nut or burr L. Between the screw-threaded end of the bolt and the square head J thereof it is made square or movement upon the bolt and the bolt held against any turning movement in the ears.

By means of the above-described construction the angular nut M engages an angular face or portion of the head of the adjacent pivotal bolt and the angular head upon the opposite side of the looking or transverse bolt I engages an angular face or portion of the pivotal bolt at the opposite side of the coupling. Thus it will be seenthat the pivotal bolts are held by means of the locking-bolt I 0 and the nut M and head J against any turning movement whatever after they have been adjusted properly against thethill iron. These screw threaded and pointed pivotal bolts after being adj usted will allow the thill- 5 iron'to turn in the ears, while at the same time it is prevented from having any shake or rattle whatever. Should the parts become worn any, even to the slightest degree, and

it is desired to tighten them to take up the loo lost motion or shake, it is only necessary to unscrew the burr or nut L upon the trans- One end of the bolt pro- 75 adjacent screw-threaded pivotal bolt.

. again touched until the parts become worn,

which will under good care be many months. A metal loop is secured at its outer end to the under side of the thill-iron and is bent down under the'locking-bolt I and has its'inner end secured tothe rear end of the thillirou, as illustrated. l-heobject of this construction isthat should either one or both of t-hill-iron, and thereby the" shaft, in placebetween the ears of the clip should the pivotal bolt become broken at anytime, thus preventing the shafts from falling down and striking the heels of the horse, which will avoid many runaways which now occur.

By means of the construction hereinbefore set forth, I provide a very simple and cheap thin-coupling, whichv willprevent the rattling and shaking of shaft-thins and which provides for preventing the shafts from falling when the pivotal bolt orboltsbecome broken. 3 Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,.is

1. A thill-coupling comprising a clip hav .ing ears provided with screw-threaded apertures, a thill-iron having cavities in opposite ,sides thereof, screw-threaded pivotal bolts 'which pass through the said screw-threaded apertures and have their inner ends engage the j said thill-cavities, the outer ends of the said bolts being made angular, and a locking-bolt which passes through the said ears and en- 1; gages the said angular heads of the pivotal bolts and locks them against unscrewing, substantially' as set forth. I 2. A chill-coupling comprising a clip having ears, screw-threaded pivotal bolts, whichpass through said ears from opposite sides, fa-thill-ironhaving cavities in opposite sides Ethereof, which the inner ends-of the said pivotal bolts enter, the said ears having transverse angular-openings outside of the pivotal bolts, an angular locking-bolt passing thereithrough, the said locking-bolt having anguilar portions which engage the said headed ends of the pivotal bolts, substantially as deiscribed 3. A thill-coupling comprisinga clip, ears extending therefrom, carrying a pivotal bolt, ath-ill-iron pivoted thereby, a transverse bolt i n front of the-said pivotal bolt, and a loop having opposite endssecured to the said thilliand passing around the said transverse bolt, substantially as and for thepurpose' specified. In testimony whereof I affix my signature-in presence of two witnesses. JOHN C. BAILEY.

Witnesses: D; I. GIK-RTH,

J. SALISBURY. 

